SWIFT/BIC codes in Netherlands

SWIFT/BIC codes in Netherlands

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 704 banks in Netherlands. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly for payments across borders, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Select a bank below to see the head office code and its other codes. The sections below covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and how to avoid mistakes.

What a sender needs to pay you in Netherlands

If you are waiting for money from abroad in Netherlands, give the sender all details at once. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank appears in our list. Certain sending banks also ask for the name and address of your bank, so keep it at hand.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

What a transfer to Netherlands really costs

If you send money to Netherlands with your bank, the fee you see is rarely all of what you pay. Besides the fee, intermediary banks may deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

For many routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives in Netherlands.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy the account details directly from their online banking. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and check them regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes. Treat our data as a starting point, not as the final word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Be wary of payment requests containing a new account. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. and its SWIFT codes

Of the 704 banks we list for Netherlands, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. has the largest number of SWIFT codes. Its main office uses RGVMNL2RXXX.

A large number of codes usually reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Paying someone at Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.? Use RGVMNL2RXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

How SWIFT codes from Netherlands are built

Bank identifier codes follow the same format worldwide: eight characters. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two mark the location.

You can spot a bank code from Netherlands by letters five and six: they always show the ISO country code of Netherlands. When those two letters do not match Netherlands, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The last three characters, if present, identify a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

Paying in euros to Netherlands

Because Netherlands is part of SEPA, a euro payment to a bank in Netherlands usually requires just the IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case.

You will still need a SWIFT code for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros have become widely supported within SEPA. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros.

Tracking a payment to Netherlands

There is no single answer for payments to Netherlands: many arrive the same day or the next. Bank holidays in either country add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank for a trace; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms; a bank needs it to start a trace.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Most accounts in Netherlands are typically held in EUR, the local currency. Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into EUR.

Who converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. In many cases it is cheaper if you send EUR directly through a transfer service with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.